Knockdown chairs having reversible cushions employing supporting frames



June 12, 1962 3,038,758

I c. P. MOLLA KNOCKDOWN CHAIRS HAVING REVERSIBLE cusmous EMPLOYING SUPPORTING FRAMES Filed April 28, 1959 INVEN TOR. CH/NFLfS P MoLL/v BY United States This invention relates to what are generally referred to as knockdown chairs facilitating packaging of the chairs for shipment. More particularly, the invention deals with a chair structure employing two leg frames, including back rest supporting portions, which are joined and spaced by reversible cushions arranged upon supporting frames directly joining and bracing the leg frames, including the back rest supporting portions thereof.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with a seat and back rest cushions, wherein the frames thereof include yieldable body portions, preferably in the form of plastic tape, bridging spaced members of the frame and extending over the major portion of the area of said cushions.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a chair made according to my invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the chair, as seen in FIG. 1, illustrating one side portion only of the chair.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken substantially centrally through one of the cushions of the chair, for example, the seat cushion, omitting the upholstery at side portions of the cushion in order to clearly illustrate side portions of the frame and the strap or Webbing arranged thereon, parts of the cushioning upholstery material being illustrated in elevation and broken away; and

FIG. 4 is a section substantially on the line 44 of FIG. 3 and showing the upholstery material not illustrated in FIG. 3, with the section taken through the mounting ends at one side of the frame.

In the accompanying drawing, the illustration of the chair frame is simply to identify the various parts or elements of each frame and not to convey the specific structure or contour thereof as, for example, the chair, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes an armrest portion and, if the chair were constructed in accordance with the present diagrammatic showing, it is quite apparent that the relatively small rod will be covered or faced to provide a relatively wide and comfortable armrest support. However, as the details of the chair structure, aside from the manner of its construction, form no direct part of the present invention, it is not deemed necessary to elaborate on the showing.

The chair consists of two similar leg frames, only one of which is indicated at in the accompanying drawing, it being understood that the opposed leg frame is of similar construction. The frame 10 comprises two downwardly flared or spread front and rear leg members 11 and 12, which are integrally united in a top crosshead 13 forming the side support for a chair seat 14.

The lower portion of the leg members 11 and 12 are joined and braced by an outwardly offset rod 15 suitably fixed to the legs 11 and 12, as by welding, diagrammatically illustrated at 16 in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

Welded to the upper end portion of the rear leg 12 and the rear end portion of the crosshead 13, as diagrammatically illustrated at 17 in FIG. 2 of the drawing,

" atent 3,938,758 Patented June 12, 19 62 ice is an upstanding back rest supporting member 18. The member 18 has an outwardly and forwardly extending armrest portion 19 welded or otherwise fixed to the member 18, as diagrammatically seen at 20 in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

The foregoing structure completes one of two leg frames which are employed in constructing the chair, with the exception of the seat, generally identified by the reference character 14. This seat, as well as a back rest 21, serve to unite and maintain the chair in assembled relationship, the seat and back rest being detachable with respect to the leg frame, including the member 18 thereof through the medium of bolts or other fasteners, as at 22, for the seat and 22 for the back rest.

As both seat and back rests are generally of the same construction, the brief description of one will apply to the other. The seat and back rest each comprise a substantially rectangular frame defined by end rails 23, note FIG. 3 of the drawing, joined and spaced by side rails 24, the rails 24 being positioned inwardly of the terminal or mounting ends 25 of the rails 23, these mounting ends being apertured to receive the bolts or other fasteners as, for example, at 22. The ends 25 are noted in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing as they extend at sides of the seat 14 and similar ends are indicated at 25' which extend from the back rest 21. In this connection, it will be understood that the degree of extension of the ends will depend entirely upon the mounting in connection with the respective supports. In other words, the ends 25 are longer than the ends 25, as will appear from a consideration of FIG. 2 of the drawing.

Arranged on the rectangular frame, defined by the rails 23, 24, is a yieldable backing 26 which, in the construction shown, is in the form of a long piece of plastic webbing, having clips 27 and 28 at end portions thereof engaging the rails 23. The backing webbing 26 is spirally arranged upon the frame in a manner diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawing and is applied to the frame in a taut condition to provide a firm and, yet, yieldable support.

Arranged over and around the frame is suitable upholstery or cushion material which can be in the form of a single body or material, or a combination of materials.

In the present illustration in FIG. 4 of the drawing, I

have diagrammatically illustrated the use of two materials,

for example, an inner or central rubberized material, as

at 29 and an outer material of cotton felt or other fabric, diagrammatically illustrated at 34 These materials are enclosed in an upholstery covering or jacket of suitable fabric, as at 3 1, to form a cushion-like structure of the seat 14, as well as the back rest 21. It will be understood that all of the cushion material is housed within the jacket 31, as well as the rectangular portion of the frame and the only parts of the frame which protrude beyond the jacket are the ends, as at 25, 25, for mounting of the seat and back rest on the crosshead 13 and member 18, respectively.

In the diagrammatic showing of FIG. 3, it will be apparent that no attempt is made to illustrate the cushion material 29, 30 at the side portions of the frame and this has been done in order to clearly show the frame ends, as well as the webbing, as at 26. It will also appear that the jacket is only diagrammatically shown, as it is wellknown in the art how jackets of this type and kind are assembled on cushions.

It will appear, from a consideration of FIG. 1 of the drawing, that the back rest 21 is arranged sufficiently high on the member 18 to facilitate the nesting of one chair upon a companion chair for stacking chairs in the storage thereof. It is quite apparent that the rear leg of the frame of one chair is free to pass down over the rear leg of another chair and, in this operation, the seat of the upper chair will rest upon the seat of the lower chair and the back rest of the upper chair will rest upon the back rest of the lower chair.

For purposes of description, the seat 14 and back rest 21 may be generally described as a body supporting parts of a chair and, as these body supporting parts are both substantially of the same construction, it will appear that each part comprises the supporting frame on which is arranged the yieldable backing, the frame and backing being enveloped in a cushion or upholstery portion in such manner as to leave protruding mounting ends on the frame for attachment with the supports of the chair such, for example, as the crosshead 13 and the back rest supporting member 18.

It will be understood that, by locating the chair and back rest frames centrally with respect to the cushion portion, as and when a used exposed surface of the seat and back rest become worn or soiled, the seat and back rest can be reversibly mounted in the leg frames to give extended use thereof.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In furniture of the character described, a body supporting part comprising a rectangular frame having side and end rails, a yieldable backing extending over the major area of the frame and mounted solely on the end rails, the end rails projecting beyond the side rails to form a pair of integral mounting ends at each side of the frame for mounting in connection with spaced supports of a piece of furniture, and an upholstery cushion portion enveloping the entire frame and said backing leaving terminal portions only of said mounting ends projecting from the cushion portion.

2. In furniture as defined in claim 1, wherein said yieldable backing comprises a Webbing wound on said frame ends.

3. In furniture as defined in claim 1, wherein the cushion portion comprises a combination of rubberized material and cotton felt arranged within a jacket of predetermined fabric.

4. In furniture as defined in claim 1, wherein said frame is centrally arranged in said cushion portion, thereby adapting the body supporting part for reversible mounting in connection with said spaced furniture supports, and fasteners for detachably coupling said terminal portions of the mounting ends with said supports.

5. A knockdown chair comprising a pair of similar leg frames, each having a top crosshead, an upwardly extending back rest supporting member comprising a portion of each of said frames, said frames being joined and spaced solely by seat and back rest parts, each part comprising a rectangular frame having a cushion portion substantially enveloping the rectangular portion of the frame, the frame comprising end and side rails, said end rails including pairs of integral mounting ends protruding from the side rails and opposed sides of the cushion portion, and

means for detachably coupling said mounting ends of said parts with the top crosshead and back rest supporting member of each leg frame.

6. A chair as defined in claim 5, wherein the frames of the seat and back rest parts include a yieldable backing mounted on the end rails of the frames and arranged within said cushion portion.

7. A chair as defined in claim 5, wherein the frames of said seat and back rest parts are arranged centrally with respect to the cushion portions, whereby said seat and back rest parts are reversibly mounted in connection with the leg frames through the medium of said last named means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 458,808 Judd Sept. 1, 1891 1,105,822 Murphy Aug. 4, 1914 1,936,459 McGowen Nov. 21, 1933 2,059,875 Katz Nov. 3, 1936 2,228,957 Henry Jan. 14, 1941 2,503,933 Breuer Apr. 11, 1950 2,521,339 Burn Sept. 5, 1950 2,557,269 Fox June 19, 1951 2,565,870 McGuire Aug. 28, 1951 2,642,118 Lamb June 16, 1953 2,709,484 Lamb May 31, 1955 2,737,230 Mackintosh Mar. 6, 1956 2,773,544 Dusenbury Dec. 11, 1956 2,796,919 Ginsberg June 25, 1957 2,823,737 Eriksen Feb. 18, 1958 2,853,125 Starke Sept. 23, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 151,358 Great Britain Sept. 21, 1920 809,315 France Dec. 3, 1936 103,017 Australia Feb. 3, 1938 571,517 Great Britain Aug. 28, 1945 1,065,990 France Jan. 13, 1954 220,199 Australia Feb. 11, 1959 

